Alex Rins: Qualifying key to closing gap on Fabio Quartararo

Alex Rins entered the MotoGP summer break 18th in the world championship, nine places adrift of Monster Yamaha team-mate Fabio Quartararo.

The performance gap is even more pronounced in qualifying: while Quartararo has claimed four pole positions and ranks as the third-best qualifier of 2025, Rins sits just 16th.

With all Yamaha riders battling ongoing grip limitations and overtaking struggles, Rins believes that qualifying performance is one area within his control that could unlock much better race results.

Alex Rins identifies key deficit to Fabio Quartararo

“Right now, it’s really tough to do better - not in terms of result, in terms of lap time,” said the Spaniard.

“We have no option to overtake or to fight after the first laps.

“But if we need to focus on one thing right now it is trying to improve the qualifying, to start in a better position.”

Rins says it’s a matter of nailing a clean flying lap:

“Just do one nice lap – with no mistakes, pushing in every corner to the limit. That’s what’s missing.

“I try, and sometimes we go through to Q2, sometimes not. We just need to be a little more regular.”

Rins finished 15th in Brno, 11 seconds behind Quartararo, and noted that his race pace wasn’t too far off his team-mate.

“Fabio did a good qualifying [6th], and he was there in the race [6th], but our lap times - OK they were a little bit different - he wasn’t putting one second per lap on me. It was just tenths.

“So everything depends on the qualifying lap. Let’s keep working.”

While Quartararo has scored 102 points so far this season, the next best Yamaha of Jack Miller has only 52.

Rins is on 42 points with Miguel Oliveira scoring just 6 points, after missing three early MotoGP rounds due to injury.